Lehigh County Register of Wills and Orphans' Court Guide
Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas · Register of Wills and Orphans' Court information · Updated May 2026
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Free help is available in Lehigh County.
Not sure if you need probate?
Many estates can avoid probate entirely. Assets with beneficiary designations, joint accounts, and trust assets may pass automatically without court involvement.
First: Get Death Certificates
Required for everythingPennsylvania Division of Vital Records
Secure the Property
- Lock the residence and secure valuable items
- Forward mail to a responsible family member
- Make a list of what you find (don't throw anything away yet)
Locate Important Documents
County filing checklist
Lehigh County probate filing checklist
Use this checklist to confirm the local Pennsylvania Register of Wills and Orphans' Court, compare common probate paths, gather starting documents, and verify county packet instructions before filing. This is an informational checklist, not legal advice, a court-approved packet, or a replacement for county filing-office instructions.
Where to verify locally
- Register of Wills and Orphans' Court
- Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas - Orphans' Court Division
- Clerk
- Lehigh County Register of Wills
- Address
- 455 W Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101-1614
- Phone
- 610-782-3000
Common filing paths
Formal administration
Lehigh County probate and administration filings are handled by the Register of Wills Division of the Clerk of Judicial Records.
Small estate affidavit
Pennsylvania small-estate settlement is a court petition under 20 Pa.C.S. Section 3102. Lehigh County users should verify current local forms, Orphans' Court rules, and filing requirements with the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court.
- Threshold:
- $50,000 gross personal property, subject to statutory exclusions
Payments Without Letters
20 Pa.C.S. Section 3101 allows limited payment of certain wages, deposit accounts, patient-care accounts, life-insurance amounts payable to an estate, and unclaimed property without letters when the statute's amount, relationship, and documentation requirements are met.
Starting documents to verify
Statewide starting documents
- County Register of Wills probate or administration petition packet (County ROW packet)
- Certified death certificate
- Original will and codicils if applicable
- Petition details for letters
- Renunciations, consents, or bond papers if applicable
- Short certificate or certified-copy request if applicable
Fee signals
- Formal administration: $50
- Pennsylvania Register of Wills grant-of-letters fees are a sliding scale on the gross probate estate value. petition_probate ($50.00) is the lowest (smallest-estate) bracket; the fee rises with estate value. A separate statewide JCS/JCP surcharge of $40.25 (42 Pa.C.S.; Act 45 of 2025, eff. 11/17/2025) applies to every petition for grant of letters. Short certificate: $10.00 each. Source: lehighcounty.org ROW fee schedule (52 Pa.B. 1563). Confirm the current graduated fee and surcharges with the county Register of Wills before quoting an estate total.
Deadline signals
- Creditor claims period: 12 months.
Compare next-step options
If you are not sure probate is required, start with the probate assessment. If you are ready to organize a filing, use the county-aware plan handoff.
Check if probate is neededA personalized probate report for estates that likely need court administration.
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Checklist details combine county source links with Pennsylvania statutory and state-default source records. Confirm final packet forms, fees, and filing instructions with the county office before filing.
This informational filing guide is not legal advice or a court-approved packet. Confirm final instructions, forms, fees, and filing options with the listed official sources before filing.
Other Topics That May Apply
Sources (8)
- https://www.lehighcounty.org/Departments/Clerk-of-Judicial-Records/Register-of-Wills
- https://www.lccpa.org/division/orphans/
- https://home.lehighcounty.org/fiscal/ora/public/
- https://home.lehighcounty.org/ORA.UI/Resources/oraFaqs.pdf
- https://www.lehighcounty.org/Portals/0/PDF/Judicial/Odyssey%20Public%20Access%20FAQ%27s.pdf?ver=ebQlzTFNV3HCFiLoFwudbw%3D%3D
- https://www.lehighcounty.org/Portals/0/PDF/Judicial/Wills/Probate%20Proceedings%20-%2011-2023.pdf?ver=6cQW9iic1yd7hLplIbkDwQ%3D%3D
- https://www.lehighcounty.org/Departments/Clerk-of-Judicial-Records/Register-of-Wills
- https://www.lccpa.org/rules/